12:56am EST - March is here, and with it, the forced wipe, and some solid shifts to Rust - holster display, more snow, cave loot, overgrowth, and some new swaying shrubs.

As always, there is no set time for the update. It does, however, tend to hit between 3 and 5pm EST (8-10pm GMT). Our update stream goes live at 2pm EST. Follow @Rustafied for news throughout the day. Let’s get into it...

Update summary video

Here's an update summary video from Puddy!

Holster display

Helk, building on the caveman sash functionality introduced last week, has added the view of weapons on player models. A feature long requested by some (mainly me), players will now truly be able to see if the person approaching them is armed or not. Beyond that, you can see tools, explosives, side arms, bows, and more.

Yes, if sneaking up on people, naked, with a pipe shotgun yelling ‘friendly’ is your thing, this may suck. Beyond that, we can finally see what someone is armed with, and react accordingly. This will not only bring about more ability to trust in Rust, it aids in scoping out during PvP engagements and counter raids.

Let it snow!

As with many forced wipes, there are some changes in store for procedural map generation. Most exciting this month is the increase in snow zones! Andre has added more winter zones while decreasing the size of the desert.

Overgrowth

Monuments around the map look a bit more rustic this week with the addition of overgrowth. A project several weeks in the making, overgrowth adds various plants and shrubbery to the different dungeons and monuments across the Rust landscape.

Although they may be a bit overboard in some instances, I really dig the vibe of this addition - it provides a sense of desolation.

Cave loot

The natural cave system has increased in value as loot spawns have been added throughout.

Swaying shrubbery

Another eye candy addition this week, a new set of foliage has been added. This set of shrubs, flowers, and bushes not only looks a bit different, it now sways in the wind.

New bunkers

The military tunnel dungeon has recieved a bit of a face lift this month with the addition of stylized bunkers. Although there are still some bits of graybox, these rooms are looking awesome!

Other stuff

Announcing: EU Small

Due to popular demand, we are expanding our EU servers. I’m happy to announce the latest addition: EU Small. Like the US Small server, this is a 150 pop, 3k map, weekly wipe server aimed at maximizing PVP. Look for ‘Rustafied.com - EU Small’ on the official list once the update goes live.